Sophie Ko: Temporal Geography

Temporal Geography

At the heart of Sophie Ko’s practice lies the concept of time, which is explored through the instability of the media she employs. The five works by the artist on display are emblematic of her approach, being subject to a continuous process of modification through the slow and inexorable degradation of the materials from which they are made.

Suspended between creation and destruction they explore the notion of ‘becoming’, thereby recalling the philosophy of Heraclitus, who considered flux to be the very essence of life since everything is subject to time and transformation. Occupying a conceptual and formal space somewhere between sculpture and painting, Ko’s works constitute profound reflections on, and metaphors for, the transient nature of existence.

Even when it is practically imperceptible, everything is in a perpetual state of change – as is revealed by the dust that silently settles on those objects which surround us in our daily lives. The paintings, etchings and drawings of Giorgio Morandi are particularly eloquent in this regard, highlighting the ostensible fixity of things. In this sense they contain evident points of contact with Ko’s own meditative images, alongside which they are displayed in Gallery 4, and with which they engage in a fascinating dialogue.

Sophie Ko (b. 1981) lives and works in Milan. The pieces exhibited in this display constitute the latest in the Estorick’s ongoing series of ‘Interventions’, whereby contemporary (and frequently young, emerging) artists create works in response to the museum’s permanent collection.